Potentially discriminatory extra time exam rules?

[Aleiha]

Just really wanted to sense check this.

DD is at a top ranking University and is entitled to extra time in exams due to having a disability. This is not disputed by the University which has given her 25% extra time. This is also what she had during A levels and GCSEs.

She is studying an essay based subject (history) and has had her first exam today and discovered that the university have extended the four hour exam to five hours. This is fine but they have applied the extra time to all students sitting the exam. This includes those with a disability and those without. The rationale from the university is that those who don't need the extra time won't use it and those who do need it can then use it.

Its a online open book exam (two essays) and so clearly everyone will use the extra time.

Is this a correct application of the rules? My understanding was that the extra time is supposed to alleviate any disadvantage she suffers due to her disability.

I posted a rant earlier in your thread about how I now teach more students with reasonable adjustments than without. I think you're getting a hard time from a few people on here because they don't fully understand how the reasonable adjustment system has been devalued over the years. At the end I said there's a small number of students who get lost in the system. I think your daughter is one of these and should take this up because she's entitled to perform at the same level as other students and giving everyone 5 hours continues to put her at a disadvantage.

But with a rigid system there were always going to be people who "just missed out" on the extra time and were then further disadvantaged. (A bit like the whole holding children back a year if they are august birthdays). It just creates a new inequality somewhere

It makes far more sense to me for universities to just expand the extra time to everyone on a "use it if you need it" basis.

Lots of the info on this thread is wrong re school exams overseen by JCQ. For people coming across this thread in the future, the guidelines have been recently updated and are here:
https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/JCQ-AARA-2025-March-26.pdf

It is the job of the school - specifically the SENCO - to gather the evidence and make the judgement about whether the pupil shld be awarded extra time. Even for those with an EHCP, the SENCO still has to make a judgement based on need and evidence. And that evidence has to come from work done in school both with and without extra time, and what the student’s normal way of working is.

Parents can wave around outside private, paid for assessments as much as they want, but the SENCO shld be making their own judgement and it is their name that goes on the form to JCQ, not some private ed psych.

The headteacher a PP mentioned above who was complaining about the number of pupils in his school with extra time should be looking to his SENCO not to parents.

Other access arrangements like rest breaks or separate rooms can be decided at a school level. But extra time has to be justified to JCQ.

And just to add, I know the OP’s child is at uni and uni’s are their own judge on access arrangements, but there was a JCQ/school sidetrack I was commenting on.

Many uni’s are giving blanket 25% to all students, Google “Sheffield Hallam extra time”. Unis don’t have the resources to apply extra time for some students etc.

@Toomuchtimeagain Risking being accused of being bitchy .... but .... genuine question: If the exam is meant to take 4 hours, but everyone is given 5 hours, and you say that continues to put OP's daughter at a "disadvantage", then is there any number of hours that all the students could be given that you think would be enough to satisfy everyone's needs? Say, 6 hours, or 10? Or, is it simply a matter of making sure the OP's daughter, and others like her, are given more hours than students without a formal accommodation for extra time? Thanks.

As has been pointed out, you need to have had an EHCP (which requires masses of evidence over several years and is very hard to get) or you must have been tested either by a fully qualified educational psychologist, or someone qualified to assess for access arrangements at level 7 (Masters). You must have two scores that hit the strictly laid-down criteria.

The concept that you just find some random who claims to be a professional and pay them and get whatever extra time you want really is nonsense.

I know you don't need that diagnosis specifically; that was simply one example. To get extra time in exams in universities you need testing from an accredited Educational Psychologist or a professional someone qualified to assess for access arrangements at level 7 (Masters), and you must be able to show two scores that comply with the criteria. Sure, you can pay for testing, what you cannot do is pay for a result that will guarantee you extra time.